Lithium Therapy
The National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) has published guidance for NHS and independent healthcare organisations to improve the safety of lithium therapy.
The Patient Safety Alert calls on frontline services to ensure that patients who are prescribed lithium are monitored in accordance with the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
A Lithium Patient Information Booklet has been produced by the NPSA, which is similar to the anticoagulant booklet. NHS Forth Valley acquired sufficient numbers of booklets for all patients currently prescribed lithium locally and these booklets were sent out to GP surgeries to circulate to all patients prescribed lithium. A small number have also been circulated to all community pharmacies to distribute to patients who may have lost their original copy. If you work in a community pharmacy in Forth Valley and require further copies of these booklets, they can be ordered via the Community Pharmacy Development Team by e-mailing FV.communitypharmacysupport@nhs.scot.
- Safer Lithium Dispensing Guidance for Community Pharmacy – January 2013
- Guideline for the Management of Patients on Lithium – January 2013